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It's easy to say that episode 7 is just the usual swimsuit episode for the part Ami service (and that Minorin/Taiga if that's your thing). On the other hand, I think it's really the first time we see just how bonded and close Taiga and Ryuuji are. The entire scenes with Taiga's chest issue and Ryuuji's attempt to solve the matter is probably the first real time I realized just how radically different their relationship is from the usual run of the mill stuff we see in the genre.

Beyond the fanservice is, for me, the first real showcase of just how close these two are.

I know! This episode actually showed me clearly how much Taiga is attached to Ryuuji, and the chest issue was just random but a good laugh as well. But the main thing about this episode was just like you said, mostly explaining the closeness Taiga and Ryuuji are with eachother.

It's easy to say that episode 7 is just the usual swimsuit episode for the part Ami service (and that Minorin/Taiga if that's your thing). On the other hand, I think it's really the first time we see just how bonded and close Taiga and Ryuuji are. The entire scenes with Taiga's chest issue and Ryuuji's attempt to solve the matter is probably the first real time I realized just how radically different their relationship is from the usual run of the mill stuff we see in the genre.

You don't find a protagonist who wants to help a girl with that kind of problem, ever. Taiga can be nice if she wants to.

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Originally Posted by Hooves

I know! This episode actually showed me clearly how much Taiga is attached to Ryuuji, and the chest issue was just random but a good laugh as well. But the main thing about this episode was just like you said, mostly explaining the closeness Taiga and Ryuuji are with eachother.

Yeah, the chest issue isn't that random. Breasts are always a center of attention. My initial problem was why is it such a big deal, but then we learned of what happened last year. Pretty funny how the photography club dissolved after, haha.

Something I noticed this episode: When they were going shopping for swimsuits, usually Ryuuji would be oggling over Minori and yet he went over to see if Taiga was okay.

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Originally Posted by DragoZERO

We had our Minori moment. She just didn't try anything on in front of him.

I would have expected Ryuuji to do something like this as well, but it seems he (unknowingly) already got fonded with Taiga and that lead him to go check on her instead of going "" after seeing how she looks like in a swimsuit.

Lol Vale Tudo. That wasn't the only funny thing though. In fact it's become a real pain for me to talk about the comedy of Toradora! There's always something funny happening every 2 seconds so i can't possibly comment on all of them.

The comedy ties in well with the great chemistry pretty much every single character has with each other. None of the relationships feel forced. It's all great. You know at first I didn't actually understand fully why Taiga got all upset like that but now it's pretty damn obvious. Comparing Ryuuji to certain dense moron in a certain stupid mecha show it's easy to see how Ryuuji is leagues above a typical average male lead in depth and character.

Fantastic episode. The comedy and drama is balanced so perfectly. It's what I loved about this series, especially how the ratio changed as it progressed.

One thing that the camera went over too fast was Minori in the classroom when Ryuji and Taiga read the betting note. She was sleeping and had drew eyes on her eye lids. If they had paused for a second longer, it would have been great since it's a nice "Minori Moment."

Ami's bikini was (though I prefer the one piece) and her swimming form was I was on the swimming team in high school, so I appreciate that sort of thing, haha.

Ah, the novel. A lot omitted, such as the time between Ami losing her top and getting it back. Not really necessary for the plot so I can't fault them for not putting it in. It was really funny though, so there's more incentive for you to read it (I think I've given you all plenty already).

The DVD case for this disc was messed up, the first three episodes had screen shots from the first case. I was surprised.

Now then... next week we get an awesome beach episode. I tell you, the author really put an original spin of everything here. Especially the school festival that's coming up. She really has talent.

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Originally Posted by Haak

Lol Vale Tudo. That wasn't the only funny thing though. In fact it's become a real pain for me to talk about the comedy of Toradora! There's always something funny happening every 2 seconds so i can't possibly comment on all of them.

Yes, one thing I love is how the teacher is afraid of Taiga.

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The comedy ties in well with the great chemistry pretty much every single character has with each other. None of the relationships feel forced. It's all great. You know at first I didn't actually understand fully why Taiga got all upset like that but now it's pretty damn obvious.

I'm surprised you didn't catch that the first time around. But it's still Kitamura > Ryuji to her, so yeah.

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Comparing Ryuuji to certain dense moron in a certain stupid mecha show it's easy to see how Ryuuji is leagues above a typical average male lead in depth and character.

Yes... so much, so much. He is dense in his own regard, however it is really understandable. Taiga doesn't give many chances for him to see why and once someone has a thought in their head, it can prove difficult to change it.

Ah episode 9. Some people think it was sort of stupid or completely benign compared to the rest of the series, but I think it's actually a very important episode overall. Ryuuji and Minorin's conversation while eating ice cream was both character-building and symbolic. Character building because it really shed a lot of light into their personalities, specifically how Minorin's a rather abstract and hopeful person while Ryuuji is a bit more pragmatic and practical. It makes it clear that when it comes down to intangible things like romance, both have some rather differing beliefs.

Overall though I think it was all really just a setup for the end, especially when you consider how Taiga acts the entire episode, both being standard Taiga and OOC Taiga. Mostly because, given her ending comments after that midnight snack, this was probably the first episode Taiga had begun to entertain the possibility of being with Ryuuji.

There was a little hint about Kitamura's situation with the student council that i appreciated. The antics of the gorup is always hilarious. Other than Summer Wars I can't honestly think of a group in an anime that exudes such great chemistry. It hard to think of the funniest bit this episode but I suppose that award goes to Kitamura's naked scene. The first time I saw Kitamura do something hilarious and it managed to be so epic.

The talk with Minori is quite deep as was Taiga considering Ryuuji as a possibility. I don't remember catching that the first time either.

Ah, great episode. You don't see beach episodes like this, now do you?

Ami's shower prank was soooo funny. Not only did it turn the cliche over, but she got him really good. But then Taiga see her in the shower, "Boom, boom, boom."

I think they could have done Minori and Yusaku's prank of Taiga and Ryuji a little better. It was obvious to me that it was a prank. It'd be better if Ryuji didn't notice until he laid down to sleep, same with Taiga.

And Minori's ghost speech was a lot longer in the novel... I am glad they changed it, haha.

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Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Ah episode 9. Some people think it was sort of stupid or completely benign compared to the rest of the series, but I think it's actually a very important episode overall. Ryuuji and Minorin's conversation while eating ice cream was both character-building and symbolic. Character building because it really shed a lot of light into their personalities, specifically how Minorin's a rather abstract and hopeful person while Ryuuji is a bit more pragmatic and practical. It makes it clear that when it comes down to intangible things like romance, both have some rather differing beliefs.

This is an incredibly important set of episodes. It's where Minori's feelings for Ryuji start and where we find out that Ami does have real feelings for him as well.

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Originally Posted by Haak

There was a little hint about Kitamura's situation with the student council that i appreciated. The antics of the gorup is always hilarious. Other than Summer Wars I can't honestly think of a group in an anime that exudes such great chemistry. It hard to think of the funniest bit this episode but I suppose that award goes to Kitamura's naked scene. The first time I saw Kitamura do something hilarious and it managed to be so epic.

They are a great group. Their joke on Ami was good too (which was a routine by a dance group in the 90's, by the way). But Kitamura... so funny. Oops goes his towel and they see something black and bushy.

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The talk with Minori is quite deep as was Taiga considering Ryuuji as a possibility. I don't remember catching that the first time either.

I was really surprised how deep Minori was there. You wouldn't expect that from her, at all.

Episode 10 may also look as benign as the previous episode, but really these two episodes have drawn visible lines across and between everybody. The last summer episode, but it clearly highlighted some things:

1. The final looks of Taiga, especially the ones she gave Ryuji when he isn't looking, illustrates the likelihood that she already knows that she's already moving towards him in a manner she didn't anticipate.

2. Ami's words and Ryuji's conversations with Minorin indicates that they are indeed two very similar but very different people, and how as Ami says, he'd get burned out by her.

3. More importantly you'd have to feel bad for Ami because this, my friends, was the episode that clearly showed us that while they may be equal, Ami will never be with Ryuji.

I find it pretty damn hilarious that Taiga and Ryuuji realiase they're supposed to scare Minorin and not be scared themselves and yet they can't put two and two together and realise someone was trying to scare them. Well I guess I can't complain. I figured it might be Ami. Never suspected Minorin. That was freaking brilliant.

I wonder if Ryuuji actually realises how close Minorin came to admitting her feelings, though.

Yes, hilarious episode. Never suspected Minori to be the one to do it, and it was so funny how Kitamura played both sides.

They made Ryuji and Taiga look too stupid though. I think they had them over react. Just showing them a little scared with a shout here and there is enough.

Anyway, Ami is so so much fun. Her teasing will never get old. She frustrates me because she'll get all mopey meanwhile she could have outright told Ryuji her feelings or just quick joking. I guess that's one problem when you fall for the person you've been teasing, huh.

Well, that ends volume four!

With regards to the DVD translation: "baka chi" is translated as "chi chi". How about "stupi-chi" !? They handled "Maruo" good, but they totally dropped the ball here.

The comedy is top notch as always. Minorin nearly killing herself with trying to suggest a haunted house was especially hilarious as well as Ryuuji wanting those coupons...

As for the daddy issues, I was actually on Ryuuji's side, but it's freshing to see a romance where the male lead does not get it right in solving the girls problems. Most harems now are based around the idea of "solve the girl's problem and then have sex with her as a reward". DX And it's interesting that Taiga and Ryuuji actually argue a lot on actual issues. Don't see that often in romances either.

So in episode 12 Ryuuji is more or less projecting his own father issues into Taiga despite Minorin's protests. It goes a bit further from Ryuuji's usual good nature and into how he has a rather idealized view of fatherhood and how father's are supposed to be. Add more cryptic words from Ami and you get a confused Ryuuji.

The actually wrestling show was hilariously over the top like real professional wrestling should, and it serves as a nice bridge to the rather heavy content of the next episode.

This was more or less the start of the daddy issues arc for Taiga IMHO that would culminate into the events of episode 19 where she would finally, in some way, break free of it. But that's a post for when we get there.

This was a fun episode, the show was pretty funny and Minori was great.

Ryuji's fight with Minori was a very notable part here. It's the first time we see Minori act mean like that and shows how, as Ami said, Ryuji can yell even at her.

Oh, and I really don't like Ami with those twin tails.

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Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Add more cryptic words from Ami and you get a confused Ryuuji.

I really liked that scene. It's great how Ami was able to put each girl into a category kind of. It's important for the girls to symbolize something different to the guy, Code Geass is an excellent example.

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The actually wrestling show was hilariously over the top like real professional wrestling should, and it serves as a nice bridge to the rather heavy content of the next episode.

I think next episode is the first time things get serious and you realize this isn't just a romance comedy. It blends real well into since the drama has been slowly escalating. It's one of my favorite things about this series.